Why You Need White Space During the Work Week (Yes, Force Multipliers, Too!)
When we look at advertising pieces or interior design, our eyes are typically drawn to the ads or spaces that have a lot of “white space”, or open space, on the page or in the room. The presence of fewer words, throw pillows, or images forces the mind to focus on what’s important and increases […]
How to Have an Effective Weekly 1:1 Meeting
Listen to our podcast episode on this topic here: Over the twelve years that Adam and I have worked together a lot has changed. We’ve built several companies, iterated others, coached thousands of people, wrote a book, launched two podcasts, learned how to become better leaders, and built a company culture of work-life presence. One […]
5 Tools to Set Your Assistant Up for Success
You just hired an Executive Business Partner or Force Multiplier. Congratulations! Now, how do you set them up for success from day one? Over the course of the last decade, we have consistently utilized five game-changing tools with our new executive support professionals (heck, we use these tools with all new team members and leadership!). […]
6 Things You Need to Know About Working With a Founder
Listen to our podcast episode about this topic here: I’ve worked with a multi-passionate entrepreneur for over twelve years. I have some (albeit limited) experience working for leaders in more traditional settings (a diligent and determined non-profit Executive and the leader in the bureaucratic environment of secondary education). Suffice it to say, I knew those […]
Finding the Right Force Multiplier
Learn to Lead, First One of my first jobs after graduating college was as a financial controller. The new job was great! I mean, I even had an assistant right away! Of course, I wasn’t exactly sure how to navigate that relationship, and often had her fetching me coffee, filing, and faxing documents for me. […]
8 Ways to Create a Positive and Powerful Relationship with Your Executive Assistant
You may have seen or heard of successful long-time leader/Force Multiplier (a.k.a. Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, Executive Business Partner) partnerships such as Conan O’Brien and Sona Movsesian, President Obama and Reggie Love, Eric Schmidt and Ann Hiatt, John F. Kennedy, Jr. and RoseMarie Terenzio, Sara Blakely and Kenya Graham and Lisa Magazine, and of […]
Want to Make Better Decisions? Just Sleep On It
Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man [person] healthy, wealthy, and wise.” And, sleeping on it may just help you solve your next big challenge. As leaders and Force Multipliers, we don’t often get to see the good stuff. By the time something lands on our desk or in […]
Workforce Issues in the News and What They Mean for Leaders and Force Multipliers – March 2023 Edition
As founders, leaders, Force Multipliers, Chiefs of Staff, and Executive Assistants, it’s imperative that we stay on top of workforce trends and issues. They not only impact our career choices, but employee retention, hiring, company policies, and organizational culture. And when major publications, like The Wall Street Journal, enter the conversation, I pay attention. This […]
4 Reasons You Should Never Miss a Meeting With Your Executive Assistant or Chief of Staff
“My Executive canceled our weekly 1:1 meeting… again.” This might be one of the most frequent frustrations we hear from Force Multipliers. These weekly 1:1 meetings between a leader and their right hand partner are often the only dedicated time that an EA or Chief of Staff has to meet with their Exec during the […]
Are You a Lighthouse Leader?
Between the ages of 11 and 12 years old, I lived at a lighthouse – Owl’s Head Lighthouse, to be exact – in Owl’s Head, Maine. The lighthouse is not particularly tall at only about 30 feet, but it is situated on a 100 foot cliff above Rockland Harbor. The lighthouse keeper’s house built in […]
How to Know If Company Decisions Should Be Public or Private
It’s like the wild west in the workplace these days. Mass layoffs continue to make headlines, employees are more burned out than ever, and inflation is causing businesses to make tough decisions about headcount and new hires. Just like in spring of 2020, we need leaders to step up and lead with strength, transparency, and […]
End-of-Year Checklist for Leaders and Force Multipliers
The fourth quarter is here and it’s the perfect time to start planning for the year ahead! Leaders and Force Multipliers alike can benefit from goal setting, calendar planning, updating resumes, organizing information, and creating growth plans. Here are 10 ideas to help you end the year strong, and create a tailwind going into 2023 […]
Survey Says: Confidence, Career Development Opportunities, and Communication are Key
A few months ago, we conducted a survey for Founders, leaders, Force Multipliers, Executive Assistants, and Chiefs of Staff to find out more about how we can help you grow in your business, your career, and your life. Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey! This information is invaluable in learning more about […]
Leaders, Let Go So You Can Actually Lead
Listen to our podcast episode about this topic here: Picture This… A CEO and an Executive Assistant walk into an office… The Executive Assistant says: “What can I take off your plate today? I’ve reviewed your emails and see eight that I can address for you.” The CEO says: “No, no. I’ll get to those. […]
What Business Metrics Should Entrepreneurs and Executive Assistants Track?
Think of the last time you missed a sports game that you wanted to watch. Maybe you were at a wedding and missed an NFL playoff game with your favorite sports team (go Steelers!) or maybe you just missed your kid’s soccer game because you were out of town on business. Either way, what’s the first question […]
How to Build Trust Between Executive Assistants and CEOs
Last week I had a fantastic book discussion with some wonderful women about Brené Brown’s latest book, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. As we discussed the various emotions highlighted in the book, we paused to talk for a few minutes about trust. Trust is one of those […]
Podcasts for Chiefs of Staff and Aspiring Chiefs of Staff
For your listening and learning pleasure, here is a curated list of podcasts for Chiefs of Staff and Aspiring Chiefs of Staff, who want to become better leaders, learn to think like their CEO, and level up their careers. Enjoy! FOUNDER’S JOURNAL WITH ALEX LIEBERMAN Alex Lieberman, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Morning Brew, is […]
Survey Says: How Do I Focus on Less, But Do More?
Last week I posed this question to the Founder & Force Multiplier community: What one thing do you want to learn or change this year that would change the trajectory of your career or business? We got a lot of great responses ranging from tactical skills such as finance, marketing, and public speaking, to more […]
What is a Stay Interview? 8 Questions to Ask Your Key Employees
Between the Great Resignation and the Great Reshuffle, the United States workforce saw over 38 million people quit their jobs in 2021. Some simply switched to a new company or industry, some decided to work for themselves or start a business, and still others decided to leave the workforce altogether. Right now, there are approximately […]
A Day in the Life of a CEO & Founder
One of the big lessons I learned in 2021 was that at the end of the day (or the end of my life), all I really want is peace. I think that’s what most of us are after—happiness, peace, joy. I believe that finding the life hacks, the daily habits and routines, that contribute to […]
The Best Books of 2021 to Read in 2022
I am a bibliophile (noun: a person who collects or has a great love of books). For the past several years I’ve set a goal to read 52 books a year. In 2021, I upped my game a bit and set my goal at 60. To date, I’ve read 79 books and will likely read a […]
How Founders and Leaders Buy Time: Outsourcing, Virtual Assistants, Interns
You may not be able to buy happiness, but you can buy time, and in my book that is just a hop skip and a jump from happiness and freedom! As a Founder & CEO (heck, as a human!), time is really all I have. And what better way to invest your money than into […]
Are You a Wartime or a Peacetime Chief of Staff?
I recently attended the Chief of Staff Summit hosted by the Chief of Staff Network and the idea of a wartime vs. peacetime Chief of Staff was brought up by one of the speakers. It’s a concept that I was first introduced to several years ago by Ben Horowitz while reading The Hard Thing About […]
How Leaders Truly Succeed Through Others
Two summers ago, I traveled to Austin to teach a leadership course and attend one of Keller Williams’ annual conferences, Mega Camp. Now, I’ve been attending these conferences for about 10 years and often get asked to present on a panel, teach a class, or host a breakout session. I love it. I love sharing […]